8 Examples of What Mobile App Engagement Really Looks Like

Downloads are an important first step toward app conversions, but they’re just the beginning of the journey. It’s what happens after users download your app that really counts. Are people downloading it for free and dropping off hours or days later? Or are they sticking around to engage with your app? Post-install engagement is what drives revenue and longevity.

Utilizing a mobile app engagement platform helps app marketers target the right kind of users. Here’s where you may say something like, “But isn’t any user the right kind of user? After all, a download could turn into something more.” Since not all app users are worth the same amount in ROI, it’s a drain on resources to cast a wide net with no aim.

Put it this way: If you spend $5 to pull in someone who downloads your app, looks around and deletes it, you’re out $5 (except multiplied by every user who did the same). If you spend $7 to engage a user who regularly visits your app and eventually buys a subscription worth $7 per month, you’ve made your ad spend back and then some. The key here is identifying targeted lookalike audiences based on the profiles of current users and showing them dynamic ads.

But first, you have to put a price tag on various post-install events by defining what’s important to your app. Engagement looks different depending on a number of factors: industry, design, etc. Let’s take a closer look at eight concrete examples demonstrating what forms mobile app engagement can take.

Gaming Apps Many mobile users enjoy passing time by playing games on their phone. It can even become addictive—there are always new levels to beat, new quests to finish and new rewards to earn. Usually, free gameplay is just the beginning. The goal for app publishers is to convince users to pay for premium content. One media editor calls free-to-play games “velvet-rope apps” because “a player has an easier time advancing if she spends some money.”

Examples include:

A user pays to unlock extra goodies, like equipment or lives

A user pays to unlock more challenging levels after reaching a free threshold

Dating and Networking Apps It’s commonplace for people to meet others through apps nowadays, whether they’re seeking a partner, a friend or a business connection. Here are three examples of how brands monetize these apps:

A user pays to see more eligible profiles after a certain number of free views

A user pays to re-match with someone if time expires before they communicate

A user pays a fixed subscription fee for access to a set of premium features

Cloud Storage With mobility and cyber-attacks on the rise, cloud-based storage systems have become a haven for securely storing documents, photographs, videos and more. Here’s what engagement could look like here:

A user can fill up X GB of free space, but must pay to unlock subsequent storage

Music and Video Streaming Mobile users appreciate having access to movies and music on the go. Although many of these apps are free to download, subsequent engagement may look like:

Users get a free trial for X days before they’re required to subscribe